It serves as a free bypass route to the toll Cherokee Turnpike, which carries US-412.

[2] The route begins at US 412 west of Huntsville and runs east through town as Main Street.

The route begins at US 412/63 near Portia and runs 6.1 miles (9.8 km) before terminating at an interchange with US 412/US 67 (Future I-57).

The road also meets Arkansas Highway 69 (AR 69) before terminating 1.6 miles (2.6 km) east of the city center at another intersection with US 412.

The route begins at the interchange with US 43 and the western terminus of its concurrency with US 412, as Hampshire Pike.

From there the route runs along the north side of the historic Columbia Arsenal, and several blocks after a railroad crossing it serves as the northern terminus of SR 243.

Closer to downtown Columbia, the road becomes line with more historic sites along with some locally notable ones, such as the West Seventh Church of Christ and the Oakes and Nichols Funeral Home, then the NRHP-listed Robert Church House, and across from that the headquarters for WKRM-AM/WKOM-FM.

This is followed by the St. Peter's Episcopal Church across from the local Knights of Columbus chapter, and then the James K. Polk Home and Sisters' House across from the Maury County Visitor's Center.

curves from straight north to northeast and after the intersection with Tennessee State Route 7 crosses a bridge over Duck River, then curves even more towards the northeast as it becomes the Nashville Highway, a standard four-lane divided commercial strip.